This paper proposes a new width control system composed of an ANWC(Automatic Neural network based Width Control) and a fuzzy-PID controller in hot strip finishing mills which aims at obtaining the desirable width. The ANWC is designed using a neural network based width prediction model to minimize a width variation between the measured width and its target value. Input variables for the neural network model are chosen by using the hypothesis testing. The fuzzy-PlD control system is also designed to obtain the fast looper response and the high width control precision in the finishing mill. It is shown through the field test of the Pohang no. 1 hot strip mill of POSCO that the performance of the width margin is considerably improved by the proposed control schemes.